1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to foot cleaning and scrubbing devices used in the shower or bath.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Foot hygiene includes cleaning and smoothing of skin on sides and bottom of feet. The outside edge of the big toe and the sides of the heel are the most common places for rough callused skin. Traditional hand operated wash cloths and brushes can be used but require the person to stand on one foot or to sit-down. When taking a shower it may not be possible to stand on one foot or sit down.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a foot-operated foot scrubbing implement. The foot is quite strong and agile and could care for itself it given the right stationary implement to rub or work against.
There are numerous stationary implements in the prior art designed to rub and clean the foot. These items are typically a brush or sponge implement that is fastened to the floor (or tub wall) with suction cups. One disadvantage of the suction cup design is that many cups over an extended periphery are needed to hold the implement steady. A second disadvantage of the suction cup design is it requires the person to bend over and pull it up from the floor after use. A third disadvantage of the suction cup design is that because the implement is securely fastened to the floor, a tripping hazard results.
Many prior art devices have limited operability. For example, prior art devices having flat surfaces with one or more straight sides or those wherein the implement is contoured with the working surface disposed on a concave curve, like bristles on the inside of a large shoe. These surface shapes actually limit the possible areas on the foot where rubbing pressure can be exerted. A convex shaped surface like the outside surface of a sphere would allow more possibilities.
Some prior art devices typically use a bristled brush scrubbing surface. Tile bristled brush type implements do not effectively smooth the dry callused skin of the feet. If a person wanted to smooth a small callused area on the big toe or heel, the person would concentrate extra pressure on that area, but when the foot is pressed hard against a brush the bristles just bend over and no smoothing results. The bristled brush by nature is unattractive and often associated with roughness, pain and hard work.
The prior art has presented solutions for cleaning the foot, but has not adequately solved the problem of smoothing the rough areas around calluses.
The size and weight of most prior art foot scrubbing implements is not optimal for easy movement of the implement to and from storage within the shower area.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a foot scrubbing device that is held stationary by inserting a foot and standing on it, and which is small in size, can easily be picked up or repositioned about the shower floor, is easily stored away within the shower area, and is not securely fastened to the bath floor, and therefor not a tripping hazard.
It is another object of this invention to provide a foot scrubbing device that has good operability due to an outwardly curved dome-shaped scrubbing surface that allows the user""s foot to be moved across the scrubbing surface in a multitude of locations and directions and allows the user to concentrate pressure on many small areas of the foot.
Another object of this invention is to provide a foot scrubbing device that has an outwardly curved symmetrical scrubbing surface so that the right and left foot are presented matching surfaces to rub on and has vertical areas where the sides of feet can be cleaned and smoothened.
Another object of this invention is to provide a foot scrubbing device having an outwardly curved dome-shaped scrubbing surface that is ideal for cleaning and smoothing the arch of the foot, which is not possible with any-concave or flat shaped surface, and provides pleasure by rubbing the arch of the foot on the dome-shaped surface.
Another object of this invention is to provide a foot scrubbing device having an outwardly curved scrubbing surface that curves up and over the foot that holds it in place allowing for a very compact, lightweight implement whereby rubbing a foot on the curved surface over the other foot is much like naturally rubbing the feet together.
Another object of this invention is to provide a foot scrubbing device having an outwardly curved scrubbing surface which can be made of various fabrics and materials with a wide range of textures to allow pressure to be exerted on a small area of the skin to achieve improved exfoliation and smoothening, provide a nice appearance, and a selection of many pattern and color combinations to choose from.
A further object of this invention is to provide a foot scrubbing device having an outwardly curved scrubbing surface which may be made from the sponges and bristled brush material.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a foot scrubbing device having an outwardly curved shape and a sturdy scrubbing surface that provides an effective means to smoothen rough callused skin of the foot.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and ensuing specification and claims.
The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a foot scrubber that is used in the shower or bath that is held in place by one toot of a user and has an outwardly curved dome-shaped scrubbing surface that curves up and over the foot that is holding it in place. The user""s other foot is rubbed against the scrubbing surface. The outwardly curved shape of the scrubbing surface allows all areas of the feet to be scrubbed (Balls of feet, toes, arches and sides of foot and heel).